Sienna

 

[Chris is still holding the family photo Will gave her.]

CHRIS:

It's my fault.

PETE:

[From inside the mens' room.] Chris!

CHRIS:

I opened the booth. It's not my fault.

PETE:

What was that noise?

MEG:

[From inside the ladies' room.] Answer your father.

PETE:

Is it here? Did it come?

CHRIS:

No.

PETE:

Oh. [His head out the door.] Chris. Come here.

[She doesn't move.]

Quick, before your mother comes.

[She nears by a single step.]

[Pete enters the room. Sotto voce.] Have you seen Nancy?

CHRIS:

No.

PETE:

She didn't come out?

CHRIS:

I need to tell you something, Dad.

PETE:

What?

CHRIS:

[Hesitating.] Will...

MEG:

Did you answer him, Chris? I didn't hear an answer. What did you say?

PETE:

It was nothing.

MEG:

Chris?

CHRIS:

It was nothing.

MEG:

[Enters.] Are you sure, Chris? It sounded like a train.

PETE:

She said it was nothing.

MEG:

It sounded like a train. I thought maybe someone left. I had something to tell him.

CHRIS:

Who?

MEG:

You didn't see anyone get on it, did you?

CHRIS:

Dad's right here, Mom.

MEG:

I know that. No one got on?

CHRIS:

[Blurting it out.] Will's dead.

MEG:

So there wasn't anyone?

CHRIS:

Weren't you listening? Your son Will jumped in front of the train.

MEG:

He's not my son. He died long ago. He was never born.

PETE:

[Insincerely.] I'm sad.

CHRIS:

You're disgusting.

MEG:

I'm glad he had the decency to do it outside. Saves us some trouble.

CHRIS:

You're sick. Both of you. He was your son!

MEG:

Stop saying that!

CHRIS:

Neither of you ever listened to him.

MEG:

He ruined our family.

CHRIS:

[Vengeful.] I know who you were looking for, Mom.

MEG:

No one.

PETE:

What do you mean?

CHRIS:

[Goes to ladies' room door. Banging on it.] Hello. Hello?

MEG:

Stop that!

CHRIS:

[Continuing.] Anyone one in there? You can come out...

[The door opens quietly and DAN is in the opening. Close. He looks much like the blue man. He gently grabs Chris' wrists, raised in the act of hitting the door. Chris is rigid. Meg gasps.]

MEG:

Where were you?

PETE:

Who is that, Meg?

[Chris backs away from Dan, who releases her wrists.]

CHRIS:

You. Will knew...

PETE:

What in Tobo's name do you call that, Meg? After all the grief you gave me over my friends...

MEG:

Just how many friends did you have?

PETE:

Deviant HYPOCRITE.

[Dan vanishes; the door closes.]

Hey! [Advancing towards the ladies' room.] Come back here.

MEG:

[Blocking his way.] No, don't. You can't go in.

PETE:

[Flings her aside.] I'm your husband. What's yours is mine.

[Rushes forward. A brief moment of hesitation at the door. Meg rushes to block him again.]

MEG:

No.

PETE:

[Grappling with Meg. Dragging her inside with him. Prologue to rape.] Come on, Meg. We'll go inside. I'm not shooting blanks.

[At the last moment before entrance, Meg breaks free. Pete halts a step inside Meg's room, peers about. He turns, incredulous.]

PETE:

It's empty. No one. [A curse.] Son of a SUMATRAN RAT!

[The mens' room door opens, and Dan and Magil sidle quietly towards the train-station door, attempting to exit without being noticed. They are dressed in traveling clothes, carrying suitcases. They are holding hands.]

PETE:

Stop right there. [Scrambling for his pistol.]

[The lovers halt by the exit. A stand-off.]

MEG:

Frank!

PETE:

Frank? Is that his name? Like Sinatra?

CHRIS:

Like Sumatra.

MEG:

Where are you going?

MAGIL:

We're leaving.

MEG:

You can't. [Pleading.] Frank.

MAGIL:

His name's Dan. Smith. We're going to Vegas.

PETE:

[Brandishing his gun.] I won't let you. You can't play Muster Mark with me, Nancy.

MAGIL:

My name's Lil. Smith.

[They leave. Pete is powerless to stop them; his gun is impotent. The door yawns open into blackness outside. The gun drops.]

PETE:

You can't trust anyone. Not your buddies, not your wife.

MEG:

How did they do it? Our rooms were separate...

PETE:

[Angry. Betrayed.] My own daughter let your son kill himself.

CHRIS:

I didn't kill him.

MEG:

He's not my son.

PETE:

Was he my son?

CHRIS:

Stop it, Dad.

PETE:

Was he, Meg? Are you sure?

MEG:

You started it, Pete. You and that Magil woman.

CHRIS:

Don't do this.

PETE:

[Vicious.] Reno was your idea. I never wanted it.

MEG:

You got me pregnant.

CHRIS:

What about me? You can't leave me.

PETE:

You started all this, Chris. You've been strangling me since your birth.

CHRIS:

We're family.

PETE:

Not anymore.

CHRIS:

You can't. Mom, tell him.

PETE:

She's dead, Chris. I killed her. Long ago.

MEG:

I don't hear a thing. I feel nothing.

PETE:

I can't trust anyone. Don't tell them, Chris. Don't tell anyone.

CHRIS:

Tell what?

[Pete has left. Through the door and gone forever.]

Dad! What did you do?

MEG:

He's dead.

CHRIS:

Mom. Tell me.

MEG:

I need a rest. [Moving towards ladies' room.]

CHRIS:

Tell me. What did Dad do?

MEG:

Nothing.

CHRIS:

Last night.

MEG:

Last year. [And she disappears into her room.]

CHRIS:

YOU CAN'T DO THIS!

[A very slow light change. Candles one by one ignite. The light fades. Ominous shadows. The corners become dark.]

You can't like this, can you? Self-immolation?

When you've slashed and torn and drank your fill, are you happy?

Why are you leaving me?

There's something out there. Something I expelled.

Mom, come back. I can feel him, Mom. Watching. He's out there.

His face is green. Floating.

I hear myself, Mom. Frightened.

It didn't happen. My family's happy. We love each other. Dad, come back. It's all a game, the game's over.

I feel him. He's there. I hear him. He's laughing.

Mom. Mom, come here. Mom, turn on the lights. Mom, I'm scared. It's dark.

I'm dying. STOP IT! Stop watching me. You can't have me. You can't devour me.

Mom!

[Meg returns, in traveling clothes. Carrying a suitcase. Packed to leave.]

[Despair. Relief.] Where were you? I was calling you.

MEG:

It's too quiet around here.

CHRIS:

[Realizing.] You can't leave. You're my mother. Don't. Don't you see him out there?

MEG:

I'm lonely.

CHRIS:

[Hopeful.] Run, Mom. If you run you can catch Dad. [With picture.] We'll make it like it was. You can stop him.

MEG:

I hope I never see him.

CHRIS:

You can't go out there. You'll be consumed. It's waiting.

MEG:

I'll be fine. Stop blubbering.

CHRIS:

You're not that type of person. He's laughing.

MEG:

I'll visit the Metropolis. You're not making this easy on me.

CHRIS:

There's nothing out there. Nothing but grey.

MEG:

I'll be fine once I get there. Once I reach the lights.

CHRIS:

Look out there. There's nothing. No, don't. Don't open the blinds. Close the door. He's right around the corner.

MEG:

I've borne you for twenty years. That's long enough.

CHRIS:

Don't leave me. We're all that's left.

MEG:

If you ever see your father, his razor's on the washbasin inside.

[Meg leaves into the featureless grey, closing the door after her.]